The Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup in June and so began their turn at one of the sport's greatest traditions. The trophy went on a world tour with the players and coaches, and one man got to watch it all — because that’s his job.
Phil Pritchard is the vice president and curator at the Hockey Hall of Fame, but he’s better known as “The Keeper of the Cup.” He goes everywhere the cup goes, whether that's to a player’s hometown or into the VIP section at a club in Miami.
Pritchard is going on his 37th year traveling with the cup. A lifelong hockey fan, he’s become a part of the history of the game he grew up loving.
"A lot of the sports make a new trophy every year, hockey doesn't. You win the trophy that your hero won, or your mentor won."Phil Pritchard, Keeper of the Cup
“When I think back from when I was a kid and watching the Stanley Cup final on TV to actually think that I'd be on the ice one day with the winners. It's pretty surreal,” he said, “You see the Stanley Cup final and I'm in it. It's really special and I'm honored every time we get to hang out with the Stanley Cup.”
The cup has a history unlike many other sports trophies. Lord Stanley of Preston donated the silver bowl atop the trophy in 1892, and it's been in use ever since.
Starting in 1926, the winner of the Stanley Cup have their names engraved around the bottom each year. Over time, the number of names necessitated the need for additional tiers to be added. Now the Cup is 36 inches tall and weighs 38 pounds.
“A lot of the sports make a new trophy every year, hockey doesn't. You win the trophy that your hero won, or your mentor won,” said Pritchard, “So when the guys win it, and for example, the Florida Panthers this year, when they won it, They're looking at obviously their names on there, but then they're going, ‘Oh, remember when he won it?’”
But there’s another interesting wrinkle to the cup’s tradition. From the time a team wins the trophy to the time the next season begins, the winning team takes possession of the cup. Each player then gets a chance to have their day with the cup. This summer, Pritchard and the Panthers took the cup to five countries, USA, Canada, Latvia, Finland and Sweden.
“When they get the chance to bring it home, to say thank you to their first coach, or their teacher that pushed them, or the guy at the rink that let them skate a bit longer. Those emotions are unmatched, I think, in sport,” he said.
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Pritchard says hockey is unique because players have to rely on others, even from an early age.
“What separates hockey players from everything else is when you're young, you can go out on the street and kick a soccer ball around. You can do that by yourself. You can throw a basketball in a net, you can catch football. With hockey, though, you need someone to help you tie your skates, to put your shin pads on the right feet,” he said, “They can't do it by themselves. It's impossible. And all of these people are what makes a Stanley Cup winner.”
Since the cup is all original silver, there is an extensive maintenance process to keep the trophy in tip top shape.
“Every day before we start the day, we clean it off. In the hotel, at the rink, or wherever we might be, we're basically using a soft type of detergent, warm water, taking all the fingerprints off of it, all the marks on that and having it looking stunning for when the day starts,” said Pritchard. “Twice a year, we take it to the silversmith, take it apart, buff it all up and everything like that. But because it's silver and over 130 years old, we can't do that all the time, because eventually the names on there will get buffed right off.”
The Panthers officially ended their time with Lord Stanley when the puck dropped on opening night Oct. 8. If they want to see the Cup, and Pritchard, again, they’ll have to win it on the ice.
